The interest to ecosystems of the Barents and Kara seas (BKS) increases recently in connection with (1) growing anthropogenic impact, including development of oil-and gas sector and construction of new ports, and (2) necessity to protect biological diversity of marine ecosystems. In our study, the case of BKS is used to exemplify construction principles for a hierarchical system of landscape- and biome-based regionalization ranging from local to global scales. The units of sea basin regionalization are regions, districts, and undersea landscapes. A special place in this system belongs to the concept of natural bottom complexes regarded as morphological units. The description of the spatial irregularity of undersea landscapes is based on distinguishing of the morphological units by vertical and horizontal partitioning. The variegated mosaic of the natural bottom complexes is formed over a rugged relief featuring combinations of rocky and soft grounds with different communities, constructed by macro-, meio- and microbenthos. Being a prerequisite for rational exploitation and protection of marine biological resources at different levels, developing of hierarchical regionalization system can be used for organizing the multi-level environmental monitoring of macro-projects – such as exploitation of Stockman gas field, and construction of Sabetta port complex.

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